My campaign centers around collecting artifacts and performing a ritual to prevent the release of the Rajah bound by the Silver Flame. For most of the heroic tier, they've been collecting what they need, and that phase is starting to wrap up. I also provided them with a prophesy that spans the whole campaign...and now I need to figure out how to deliver on the prophesy I committed to.
I'm wrapping up Massacre at Fort Dolor, which I've modifed to fit nicely into the campaign. In the adventure I linked the stolen goods to the Bloodghost Syndicate, who are in turn linked to a corrupt cleric of the Silver Flame, who is one of the major villains. I've dropped hints that he may be preparing to free the anti-keeper from Dreadhold (but no one has figured that out yet)...
The choice I expect: The party fiollows up on the clues linking the cleric to the crime syndicate, which in turn leads them to Dreadhold and the Anti-Keeper.
and I'm stuck there...
I want the freeing of the Anti-Keeper to be ambiguous...a generally bad thing...but also an opportunity to secure a greater victory over the Shadow in the Flame...in my prophesy, the Keeper must be freed...but by whose hand? I'm torn between setting up the party to stop the villain, having the party aid the villain, and having the party risk freeing the Anti-keeper themselves.
I'm also struggling with the idea of having the party break into Dreadhold...or cpaturing the party and having the villain pay house Kundarak to keep them in dreadhold so that they cannot interfere any more...leaving the party to have to break out of Dreadhold.
So, if you've got ideas, inspirations, critque...anything... i need to get through this block...
I want the freeing of the Anti-Keeper to be ambiguous...a generally bad thing...but also an opportunity to secure a greater victory over the Shadow in the Flame...in my prophesy, the Keeper must be freed...but by whose hand? I'm torn between setting up the party to stop the villain, having the party aid the villain, and having the party risk freeing the Anti-keeper themselves.
Hm...how about letting the players make that decision? Let them uncover at least a bit concerning the part of the prophecy which concerns the Antikeeper and see what they wish to do. No reason to bring a headache upon yourself
.But I can't even think of how to get them to that decision.
No doubt, following the evil cleric will lead them to try to foil his plot at Dreadhold. But how do I build up the portion of the story that might make it seem like a good idea for the party to then attempt to do what they just tried to stop someone else from doing?
I would think using a new snippet of the prophecy would work there, something about how the release can be weal or woe depending on who opens the vault. something like that.
But I can't even think of how to get them to that decision.
No doubt, following the evil cleric will lead them to try to foil his plot at Dreadhold. But how do I build up the portion of the story that might make it seem like a good idea for the party to then attempt to do what they just tried to stop someone else from doing?
The PCs are following the evil cleric and even manage to intercept an item he was trying to acquire: a medusa blood oitment which is needed to release the anti-keeper from her flash-to-stone state in Dreadhold.
The evil cleric will then manage to frame the PC in a crime. you will need to find something which will be worth getting them sent to Dreadhold (membership in a crime syndicate?).
While imprisoned in Dreadhold breaking the anti-keeper out maybe their best escape plan (the cleric may even meet up with them and make them that offer, let them smuggle the medusa blood into the prison).
In case the PC decide not to help with the anti-keeper escape plan. The cleric may still free her (using his plan B), in such a case its possible that the House Kundarak guards will offer them their freedom in exchange for assistance in stopping the anti-keeper escape from the island.